February 10, 2021, before our meeting, we watched the awards ceremony for our competition this past weekend. I am absolutely thrilled that this team was recognized by the judges so much. 3 mentions including an Inspire placement is quite an accomplishment for a single competition! Please note that the Inspire award is the premier award given at FTC competitions, and a 3rd place Inspire is more prestigious and carries more weight than a 1st place in any other category! Here are the awards and placements we received: Design 1st place: This judged award recognizes design elements of the Robot that are both functional and aesthetic. The Design Award is presented to Teams that incorporate industrial design elements into their solution. These design elements could simplify the Robot’s appearance by giving it a clean look, be decorative in nature, or otherwise express the creativity of the Team. The Robot should be durable, efficiently designed, and effectively address the game challenge. Connect 3rd: This judged award is given to the Team that most connect with their local science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) community. A true FIRST team is more than a sum of its parts and recognizes that engaging its local STEM community plays an essential part in its success. The recipient of this award is recognized for helping the community understand FIRST, the FIRST Tech Challenge, and the Team itself. The Team that wins the Connect Award actively seeks and recruits engineers and explores the opportunities available in the world of engineering, science, and technology. This Team has a clear Team plan and has identified steps to achieve their goals. Inspire 3rd: This judged award is given to the team that best embodies the ‘challenge’ of the FIRST Tech Challenge program. The Team that receives this award is a strong ambassador for FIRST programs and a role model FIRST Team. This Team is a top contender for many other judged awards and is a gracious competitor. The Inspire Award winner is an inspiration to other Teams, acting with Gracious Professionalism® both on and off the playing field. This Team shares their experiences, enthusiasm, and knowledge with other team, sponsors, their community, and the Judges. Working as a unit, this Team will have shown success in performing the task of designing and building a Robot.
